New Delhi: Delhi High Court has ruled that the interests of occupants encroaching on public land must give way to larger public interest, clearing the way for the govt to proceed with a road-widening project in Shalimar Bagh.In a recent order, the high court permitted a demolition drive for the expansion of a public road and granted occupants residing on the acquired land time until May 30 to vacate.A bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Madhu Jain was hearing a petition filed by Saroj, a Shalimar Bagh resident, on behalf of around 98 occupants living on land acquired by the govt in Haiderpur village.“The expansion of infrastructural projects, especially those concerning access to essential services such as medical care, education and fire safety, ought not to be delayed any further, as such delay would be detrimental to the larger interests of the residents of Shalimar Bagh,” the court observed. It stressed that the interests of private occupants encroaching on public land must yield to broader public interest, including smoother traffic flow in the area.“This court is of the view that the widening of the road cannot be delayed any further. The residents have to ensure that the same is not hampered or obstructed in any manner,” the bench underlined.The petitioners challenged the proposed demolition and dispossession, claiming several families had been living on the land for decades and would be rendered homeless if evicted.However, authorities told the court that the land was acquired long ago and that earlier challenges to the acquisition were dismissed by the high court, with the Supreme Court also declining to interfere.Taking note of the long period of occupation, the court granted the residents time until May 30 to vacate, directing that no demolition or dispossession be carried out until then. It also asked the Delhi govt to consider sympathetically the residents’ request for ex gratia compensation.“Upon the expiry of the aforesaid period, the respondents are at liberty to proceed with the expansion of Road No. 320 and remove all encroachments and unauthorised constructions,” the court said, adding that the occupants would not be displaced until the deadline, subject to their cooperation.Delhi govt said the road widening was necessary to improve traffic flow and ensure unhindered access for emergency vehicles, including ambulances, to nearby hospitals and schools.
